Back Muscles - Straight Arm Pulldow

Learn how to perform straight arm pulldowns. This exercise targets the back muscles by pulling down a bar with extended arms. It primarily works the latissimus dorsi and partially the pectoralis minor chest muscle.
Find more back exercises in weight training and bodybuilding programs.

Execution

• Stand in front of a lat pulldown machine and grasp the bar with an overhand grip or place your palms flat on the bar (palms facing down).
• Position your hands between 1 and 2 shoulder widths apart.
• Keep your elbows slightly bent.
• Bend your legs slightly and keep your abdominals tight.
• Your upper body should remain mostly still while pulling the bar down. It does not matter if your trunk leans forward slightly, as long as you avoid momentum or stress on your lower back.
• Pull the bar down towards your thighs without bending your elbows, and exhale.
  • Press your shoulders down and back.
  • Squeeze your back muscles as the bar touches your thighs.
  • You may lean back slightly during the pull so your upper body is more vertical, but do not lean forward or generate momentum with your upper body.
• Slowly let the bar move back up to the starting position while inhaling.
  • Stop when the bar reaches head height, then pull it down again.
  • You can lean forward slightly as you raise the bar or keep your upper body still throughout the exercise.
  • Either way, keep your abdominals tight.
  • The upward motion should be slightly slower than the downward motion.
• Some prefer the top position of the straight arm pulldown to be above head height. This is acceptable as long as your shoulders feel comfortable.
  • The higher you raise the bar, the more your back muscles stretch at the top position.

Advice

• Avoid creating momentum with your upper body during straight arm pulldowns.
• Keep your abs tight.
• Lock your lower body and wrists.
• Although the exercise is called “Straight Arm Pulldown,” your arms should not be fully extended. Slightly bend your elbows to protect them.

Suggestions

• Hyperextensions
• Barbell Deadlift
• Barbell Row
• Seated Cable Row (Pulley Row)
• Wide Grip Lat Pull-Up
• Pulldown Behind the Neck (Wide Grip)
• Pull-Up Behind the Neck
• Dumbbell Shrugs
• The Back Muscles

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